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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Ethnic fiction |
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| lucid9 |
| 02/05/04 at 14:07:10 |
| [slm] Ok, this isn't really an islamic topic....but still Lately i've been reading fiction about folks like moi -- i.e. How many of you have read the following: The namesake (Jhumpa Lahiri) Bricklane (Monica Ali) A suitable boy (Vikram seth) I just read Lahiri's book -- and although its about a hindu bengalis -- almost everything in the book is so like my life, ouch! (apart from the really raucous and nasty unislamic bits). But the book really scared me about one thing: i didn't know deshi girls were soooo wild. Thank God, my parents are so conservative... I have bricklane on my kitchen table...and i read a suitable boy long ago. I thought vikram seth was soooo clever, but not kind to muslims, totally misunderstood them, and was soooooo very anti-pakistani... anyhow, has anybody else wasted gobs and gobs of time like myself reading stuff like that? --a useless timewaster |
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| lala |
| 02/05/04 at 14:32:46 |
| [slm] yeah i've wasted time reading all kinds of books..but reading isnt really wasting time unless youre reading something trashy and sexual etc. but yeah, a coworker of mine who is russian mentioned to me that she read the suitable boy..i've been meaning to read it to see what the big deal is..but keep forgetting..and since I have tons of other books (islamic et) that I recently purchased I've put that on the back burner. Plus its so long ! :) My coworker said that that book was insightful.. but from what you say it is propagating false stereotypes perhaps? last read fiction book was 'the da vinci code'. interesting book.. anyhow, you are not alone. ;D salaam |
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| jannah |
| 02/05/04 at 17:11:08 |
| slm, hyper ever read Jhumpa's 'Interpreter of Maladies' - her first book a collection of short stories which she won a Pulitzer for!. i thought her writing was amazing and the portrayal of people's character in various situations and lives was beautiful. the thing is that it is so real it's also very depressing. i was thinking about her second book the novel but to read a whole novel like that might be too much for me.. ;) i like reading ethnic fiction i think it's so interesting. i also wish other people would expand their minds and read things beyond their norm. it doesn't have to be ethnic fiction but anything biographies, non fiction, etc most people just don't read anymore (unless its like harry potter! :)) and they miss the depths literature can give them. |
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| lucid9 |
| 02/05/04 at 17:52:46 |
| [slm] i found the first story in interpreter of maladies really disturbing...that's what i found very disturbing about jhumpa lahiri...and the next book: the namesake is similarly very disturbing...(for guys that is) i mean the women tells her husband to get lost just because he was away at a conference when she had a baby! Yikes. I remember my mom was ballistic when my dad was in deshi land when sis Sam bam was born...but holy gamoly! are deshi women so much more complex than us loser guys can imagine?? Ouch! I guess i understand the question better now... ...the lesson i have taken away from all jhumpa madam's fiction is that....there's plenty good reason to try to stay away from western deshy women...they're just too complicated...you will laugh, but after reading her first book i really decided that its a lot less freaky, and pee in your pants scary, to get married in deshi land than in the good old US of A.... sorry about all the personal info...i'm an idiot... [slm] |
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| rkhan |
| 02/05/04 at 23:40:48 |
| [slm] I'm a readaholic and read everything I can lay my hands on... The namesake: check A suitable boy: check Interpreter of Maladies: check IMHO Jhumpa Lahiri and co. are pretty over-rated and their fiction is like skim milk...tastes like the real thing but doesn't really go beyond the surface. I don't know what kind of a read it'd make for an American/Brit desi, but these books didn't make too deep an impression on me...am I missing out something because I'm desi as they come? Bro hyper, missed your posts. And what's with all that self-flagellation? (I'm an idiot butthead useless timewaster etc etc) I think you're pretty cool because you don't take yourself too seriously . These days I'm waiting for my new baby to show up and suffering huge bouts of insomnia...anyone read anything good lately? |
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| lucid9 |
| 02/06/04 at 09:43:30 |
| [slm] i agree with you, i don't think jhumpa and monica ali are that talented, not to take anything away from them....but they are a lot like Amy Tan...a good storyteller...but nothing brilliant... However my sister, who understands these things a zillion times better than me, disagrees and says jhumpa is a phenomenal writer and monica fairly good. the people i think who are really talented are arundhati roy --- because of her brilliantly lyrical use of language vikram seth -- not a great storyteller, but a rhyming genius nevertheless... and well i am sad to say it but: salman rushdie is also extremely talented but pretentious... anyhow....best wishes [slm] |
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| rkhan |
| 02/06/04 at 10:02:18 |
| [slm] Sounds strange, but I was just going to say the same thing. I think A Roy is great because her story rings soooo true (as a desi in the know I can tell u that GOST is more than semi-autobiographical) and there's nothing of a put-on, fake 'atmosphere' -- every word is straight from the heart. Vikram Seth-- at one point of time I had The golden gate practically by heart, I read it so often and enjoyed it so much. Er...bout SR I'm almost ashamed to admit that I've read every single book he wrote many times over before he lost his mind and produced Satanic Verses from the depths of his capacity for fitnah and filth. It's a non-sequitur I know, but I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez too. His books are almost desi they're so full of the hot summer sun and people acting weird and when all else fails there's real magic... One last thing, pls think of me as another "sister in the know" just like your own sis back home, I have a kind of semi-solid background in journalism, book reviews and publishing... And thanks for starting this thread it's given me a chance to actually talk about BOOKs .....heaven....I don't think many Muslims are big readers of secular literature (including my immediate family) |
| 02/06/04 at 10:05:29 |
| rkhan |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| lucid9 |
| 02/06/04 at 11:16:12 |
| [slm] i think g marquez is my next stop...everybody says such good things about her...and my sis said one of her books is one of her alltime faves since you read namesake: what did you think of moushoumi? its a bit scary, but i almost married a girl like her (muslim version that is but nevertheless...) [slm] |
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| lala |
| 02/06/04 at 11:17:48 |
| [slm] one hundred years of solitude..good book.. not sure i 'got' it all..but really good. anyone read midaq alley by nagib mafuz? or fantasia -algerian cavalcade by assia djebar? I find that taking comparitive literature in undergrad helped to expand my literary knowlege.. you find that most of these type books have political and sociological components to them..and some of the fantastical stuff(not sure of the right word) pertains to something that actually happened. If I didnt read these books for class I would have probably been clueless to that point! but its a good read non the less. |
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| jannah |
| 02/06/04 at 11:23:23 |
| [wlm] wow dissin on poor jhumpa and she won the pulitizer prize for literature not to mention other literary awards and her book is a best-seller. no accounting for taste huh :) how about 'the alchemist'? anyone read it...and understand it all...that was one book with so many layers ur just swimming after awhile trying to stay on top... i wanted to read nagib mafuz any recommendations for his best book? |
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| Maliha |
| 02/06/04 at 11:35:27 |
| [slm] hmmmm...i always thought Garcia was a man... Anyone read African American Literature?? Man, i gained sooo much strength being a FOB, new to this country, and reading "Invisible man", "bluest eye", "native son" etc. The struggle, strength, and beauty exuded in those works were amazing to say the least. I think Toni Morrisson rox Mashaallah:) Anyone read the "Alchemist"? It still remains my all time favorite:) A fable written by Paulo Coelho. I had to put it down and cry my heart out... It was simply breath taking:) Reshma Baig wrote a beautiful, lyrical prose called "The memory of hands"..islamafied short stories..really awesome too:) I haven't read the works by Lahiri and seth, but i don't know how patient i would be at people who are "unsympathetic" or downright ignorant about Islam... I haven't read A. Roy's novels...I really wanna check out "The God of small things" anyone read it?? tell me if its worth the read. I looooveee her articles though, I love the heart wrenching way she depicts world affairs. We need more "heart" writers...the world is sooo colorless without them. Sis in struggle, [wlm] |
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| theOriginal |
| 02/06/04 at 11:45:57 |
| [slm] I read Jhumpa's set of short stories "interpreter of maladies"....they didn't leave me with a good feeling about life. I was depressed for a long time. i also read a suitable boy...which i liked. Anywhooooooooooo Has anyone read "salt and saffron" by kamila shamsie? or "mothsmoke" by mohsin hamid? I really liked the first one..it was so incredibly funny. Everything about it was humorous. The second one was depressing, too...but i liked it. Wasalaaaaaaam.... the hyper me. (no reference to bro hyper). |
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| rkhan |
| 02/06/04 at 11:47:15 |
| [wlm] [quote] hmmmm...i always thought Garcia was a man... [/quote] He is. More tidbits: he's a journo and is battling cancer at the moment, struggling to put down his memoirs and stuff before the Grim Reaper gets close. May Allaah guide us all. Going off topic here but I really wonder about people like him and so many others who seem so intelligent and grounded and everything , yet in a way they're so naive that they're ignorant about their own Creator. Toni Morrison...hmmm..kind of difficult to get and she's always struck me as a somehow spooky read. But God of Small Things (GOST) gets a very very enthusiastic thumbs up from me. Sure the theme isn't exactly Islaamic but it's a DEFINITe read for anyone who feels nostalgic about their childhood and is generally a sensitive soul who can feel for the underdog. Since you've read her articles I'm sure you know what I mean. |
| 02/06/04 at 11:48:55 |
| rkhan |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| AyeshaZ |
| 02/06/04 at 22:16:27 |
| [wlm] I recently read the "alchemist".. that book made me really think about so many different things but i feel like i've to read it again! I had a huge discussion with a friend of mine who basically dissed the book! :) I wish reshma baig could write more books.. toni morrison is too literary for me .. but imma have to get my hands on some jhumpa books now! |
| 02/07/04 at 00:54:27 |
| AyeshaZ |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| rkhan |
| 02/06/04 at 23:58:27 |
| [slm] [quote] I wish reshma baig could write more books.. [/quote] Me too. I looove reading her kind of writing...almost seems like poetry in places it's so full of feeling. MashaAllaah. Anyone has any info on her...like maybe a list of things she's published and where to get them? |
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| AyeshaZ |
| 02/07/04 at 00:56:21 |
The only thing i know abou reshma baig is that shez from ny :) and is married to Yahiya Emerick... masha'Allah how amazing!!!!!!!!!! :) |
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| faith |
| 02/07/04 at 10:43:44 |
| [slm] what does "ethnic fiction" mean? is it only about lives of non-europeans/north americans written by non-europeans/north americans? ??? if yes, then Kazuo Ishiguro's Remains of the day - a story about the life and regrets of an english butler, would not be considered as ethnic fiction? or what about Rudyard Kipling's Kim or Somerset Maugham - stories about the lives of natives of the old British colonies - India, North africa, Malaya? they were written by europeans - so, I suppose that's not ethnic fiction? my favourites are stories by writers in far, far away lands which I have never set foot on... Latin America: 1) Gabriel Garcia Marquez: 100 yrs of solitude - I love this book to bits, when I started reading it, I couldnt put it down and finished it within 3 days! Its quite a heavy read though its mesmerising! But personally, I dont consider this to be "ethnic fiction" since, this story is really about commentaries of sociological change a nation evolves from and into - it could be about a town/city from anywhere! 2) Isabel Allende: a) Eva Luna b) The House of Spirits about lives during the Chilean revolution, the main characters being strong women ;) 3) Laura Esquivel: Like water for chocolate - mushy love story intertwined with magical storytelling and upholding family traditions. 1 day, I hope to be able to read these stories in their original Spanish :D wishful thinking... from South Africa: Nadine Gordimer - then again, would her work be considered as ethnic fiction, since she is european descent? or that her stories theme around the atrocities of apartheid? :-) |
| 02/07/04 at 10:45:06 |
| faith |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| Ruh |
| 02/08/04 at 01:55:41 |
| [slm] Ooh one of my fav topics--books! Unfortunately haven't had much time to read fiction, although am trying to change that, and need some ideas of good reads (other than the ones listed in this topic, which im definitely adding to my growing list). Maybe the avid readers here can list some of their all time fav books (dont have to be "ethnic" books) that they'd highly rec. :-* :-* Wassalam :-) |
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| lucid9 |
| 02/10/04 at 10:41:21 |
| [slm] (1) Ethnic fiction: fiction about immigrint type folks, or not set in the universe that is the US of A + europe. (2) African fiction: perhaps the best book i have ever read was the The Power of One by Bryce decourtaney (spell?) It's about a afrikanner white boy raised in a township by non-white parents. It is very, very, very moving. There is an associated movie. Didn't see it. Heard that it flopped. (3) Just read Bricklane by Monica Ali. Very depressing and very distressing. Its full of stereotypes, but maybe that's how things really are. i don't know. Her portrayal of islam is confusing. Sometimes she seems all pious and other times sarcastic. Its a pretty mottled picture, not clearly anti-islamic or pro islamic. If you've read it, please tell me what you think. [slm] |
| 02/10/04 at 11:21:31 |
| lucid9 |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| rkhan |
| 02/10/04 at 13:10:06 |
| [slm] You’re so right about Brick Lane being a confusing mix of stereotype and rhetoric…the book didn’t grow on me at all – meaning I didn’t read it more than once and skimmed parts at that. What left me cold were the characters – they felt so lifeless and unreal. I don’t know if I couldn’t relate to them because I’m neither a Bong (affectionate diminutive for Bangladeshi, no offence) nor a Brit. But the things Nazneen and Chanu did seemed like stuff the author ‘imagines’ people in council flats do rather than bothering to look in and find out for herself. I mean…a wife whose duty roster includes clipping nose hair, cutting corns and sewing pieces on a pawned sewing machine?? Are these characters for real? Add the corny love angle and throw in a few characters from back home (which incidentally were the only people who actually rang true) and you have a khichri which might work for people who don’t know any better…like the ppl who shortlist books for the Booker…it didn’t do much for me. |
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| Shahida |
| 02/11/04 at 05:40:15 |
| [slm] U guys make me cry :'( I dont even have enough time to read books to learn more about Islam...you make me feel like I am missing so much out there, boohooo :'( Enjoy your reading, and yes, continue to give the raves and reviews, cuz thats just about how close I will get to actually knowing anything about that world of books I never have enough time for... InshaAllah, after this year, I should have more tie for everything..ameen, ya Rabbi. Make Duaa for me? Salam Shahida :-) |
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| smk |
| 02/11/04 at 15:47:21 |
| i haven't read the three books you have mentioned but i have wasted a lot of time reading stuff that i had to finish because ....well, because i had started. the last waste of my time was 'lovely bones' by alice sebold (i think i got that right). i've read some very good books too but people who are not in touch with God write books that end badly. example- a fine balance by rohinton mistry, god of small things by .....er....can't remember....that skinny woman with beautiful eyes....it'll come to me. my all time favourite in fiction is 'the memory of hands' by reshma baig. if anyone has read it and are reading this; i have a question. you know the story about the little girl whose parents are in an unhappy marriage, her experiences in school and at home. at the end the girl talks of finding her companion and says something like when the companion touches her hand "he shouldn't be surprised if he doesn't feel a thing." anyone has any ideas what she meant by that? please share because i have a couple of vague ones that don't quite fit. |
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| Ruqayyah |
| 02/12/04 at 12:11:03 |
| [slm] awww Shahida! I know *exactly* how you feel! It is hard to get time to read books, which is why i guess that our school has this HVM (Human Values in Medicine) month where we get to explore other sides of medicine and so I'm taking a class called Love and Literature in Medicine. We get to explore all sorts of things w/ love. So one of the books we're reading is Gabriel Garcia Marquez's book, Love in the Time of Cholera. I dunno, I haven't read any of his other stuff, but honestly, it's a hard read. It's basically about unrequited love and I think the main character is just pathetic, so I don't really recommend it. Anyone else read it? One of the selections we're reading is a selection from "Interpretor of Maladies" for our session on Love and Culture. I haven't read it yet, but when i do i'll let ya know what we talk about :) We're also watching Monsoon Wedding for that class! :-* [wlm] Ruqayyah |
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| lucid9 |
| 02/25/04 at 16:04:14 |
| [slm] I just read rohinton mistry's book "a fine balance." in most respects, it is absolutely fantastic. its not an artsy book and the author isn't as clever with words as some people, but the storytelling is second to none. it is one of the very best books i have ever read. really. It also has a muslim hero, which is very unique considering people like vikram's seth ambiguous disdain of them. its about a parsi women orphaned while young and two untouchables and their hilarious and tragic lives. be warned...it is sad...but for most of you descendents of FOBs -- that is really what its like back in the land of our parents... |
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| jannah |
| 02/25/04 at 22:02:56 |
| [slm] if anyone would like to join a book club where we read interesting fiction/non-fiction books...and share our throughts on it as muslims...though the books are not necessarily islamic.. just interesting stuff let me know inshaAllah and i'll add you to the list.. so far it's me and se7en and 3 other ppl.. but we all have very varied academic, national backgrounds and ethnicities so it should be interesting.. the first book we are reading is Children of the Alley by Naguib Mahfouz |
| 02/25/04 at 22:04:06 |
| jannah |
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| rkhan |
| 02/26/04 at 00:43:00 |
| [slm] That sounds great..oxygen for the book loving soul. Count me in inshallah. Can't guarantee whether I'll find all the books that will be up for reading tho..books are in short supply (to put it mildly) where I'm based. |
| 02/26/04 at 00:47:46 |
| rkhan |
| wow: Ethnic fiction |
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| timbuktu |
| 02/26/04 at 00:58:49 |
| [slm] My whole family is addicted to reading I read everything i could lay my hands on, including a lot of trash and junk, and including the golden oldies until eventually my eyes refused to concentrate, and i began to lose my memory now i only glance through, and just feel sad :( do you think these books will be available in Jannatul Firdaws? and second Q: anyone willing to trade my old wise age with his young one? :) and Oh yes, I have read the alchemist and heard of the others. picked up Vikram Seth's book, but just glanced through you know, i thought of going into this ethnic fiction thing wayyyyyyy back in 1975 Had I done that, u guys might have been commenting on my books maybe it is just as well I didn't ;) |
| 02/26/04 at 01:17:19 |
| timbuktu |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| Faythful |
| 02/26/04 at 08:44:02 |
| Ethnic Fiction!! My favourite! I love books that are set in a time and place different from my own, or written by or about people with different cultural backgrounds and experiences. The Alchemist is a great piece of work, although it reads less like a story and more like ... a philosophy. Every line in the books means something. The only Jhumpa Lahiri I've read was the Interpreter of Maladies and I thought it was fabulous. Her descriptions are vivid and she does a wonderful job of overwhelming you with the emotions of her characters and the worlds she describes. A Suitable Boy is one of the most fun reads! Although the book is humungous, it reads easily and quickly. I haven't read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez but I did read Chronicle of a Death Foretold which is a quirky, amusing little book. Has anyone read The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver? That just rips your heart right out! It's about a Christian missionary family in the 1950s Congo, and no it's not pro-missionary or anything. On the contrary. The writer describes, among many things, how the Congo taught them some lessons... Another good ethnic fiction is Waiting by Ha Jin. He's a Chinese immigrant to America. I had never read much "Chinese" fiction, so this book is insightful. Jannah, I'd love to join this book club, by the way. And I think it's a great idea. |
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| Ayla_A |
| 02/26/04 at 23:54:16 |
| [slm] I would also love to join the book club. I have already read Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk Palace of Desire Sugar Street (The Cairo Trilogy) I would be willing to read another one of his books, they are well written and good story, but sad and dark a little. [wlm] :-)Ayla_A |
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| Muneerah134 |
| 03/08/04 at 15:04:14 |
| [slm] I have read Naquib Mahfouz's trilogy and like Midaq Alley the best. I am going to try to read The God of Small Things, it's been sitting on my shelf for ages. I remember reading Love in the Time of Cholera, and since I was in a similar situation, (a divorce and possible marriage to someone who I had loved from afar) I so identified with the book. A different cultural and experiential lens I suppose. I couldn't put it down. Please count me into the book club. :-) Muneerah (also racing out to find the Alchemist, inshaAllah) [] |
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| humble_muslim |
| 03/08/04 at 19:04:04 |
| AA Why do some ulema consider the writings of Naghib Mahfouz to be bad? This is not a judgement, I just want to know. |
| NS |
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| Ayaatee |
| 03/08/04 at 19:28:35 |
| [slm] Ahem... over in the Shahadah, Masjid & Bookstore forum there is a completed ethnic novella entitled, These Last Nights written by.... um, me, mashallah :P! No, but if you haven't taken a look at it, Inshallah, I hope you will. It's an urban - ethnic Islamic fiction... [wlm] |
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| panjul |
| 03/10/04 at 12:58:50 |
| [slm] Hey guys I want to joing the book club. I love to read! |
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| bhaloo |
| 03/11/04 at 01:58:00 |
| [slm] [quote author=panjul link=board=kabob;num=1076008030;start=30#32 date=03/10/04 at 12:58:50] [slm] Hey guys I want to joing the book club. [/quote] "join" [quote] I love to read! [/quote] Learn to spell first. ;) |
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| UmmWafi |
| 03/11/04 at 03:03:22 |
| [slm] Dont know much abt categorisation at all ( I am too lazy to even make excuses for my ignorance :-/ ) however, I have read umm some books ( I dont think I dare to use the word considerable in case any of my professors are reading this and wondering why I am not reading the compulsory texts instead heh heh ). Here are some of my off-the-way read that I have found interesting. 1. African writers for their strong potrayal of life as they know it..even in beautiful lyrical fiction form. All-time favourite : The River Between. Cry my beloved country is also solid. 2. Books by Paul Theroux. He just has a way of expressing his insights and observations. 3. Books by Czech writers, except that they can be a bit bleak. Milan Kundera is one of my fave especially unbearable lightness of being. 4. Indian writers..I dont quite like Seth but prefer R. Tagore. Naipul is kinda okay although umm his content often makes me go ??? I must agree with Bro Hyper, Rushdie writes brilliantly, I especially like Midnight Children. But well, him as a person is a big turn off. 5. This may sound floozy but Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth is one of my all-time fave too. I read it like numerous times. Book has more than 1000 pages tho. 6. Ok..this ain't ethnic but I like the Amises, both father and son. Their writing style are tight but can be draining on the self. As long as I m talking non-ethnic, I used to read and reread Huxley, Orwell...and mann...Clockwork Orange really blew my mind back then. 7. On the lighter side, I like Terry Prachett(sp?) too. Heh heh...his collaboration with Neil Gaiman was hilarious. Sighhhhh......I would love to join a book club but now that is near impossible. In fact, if I can even find the energy to flip the pages of a book, I would be surprised......Anywho, glad for this topic. Wassalam. |
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| rkhan |
| 03/14/04 at 00:23:26 |
| [quote] Milan Kundera is one of my fave especially unbearable lightness of being.[/quote] I CANt believe that there's another person in the world who...like me.. has actually (1) Read the book (2) Completed it (3) Enjoyed it I looooove Milan Kundera...somewhat Rushdiesque in his writing isn't he? What I like best about him is that he leaves pomposity completely out of his work even while writing about the deepest things. Also loved 'The Joke'. Have you read it?? |
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| panjul |
| 03/15/04 at 12:24:16 |
| [slm] How do you spell join in Japanese bhaloo? Hey jannah, when are we starting the club? I really really want one. Saleema |
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| UmmWafi |
| 03/25/04 at 01:04:34 |
| [slm] Hey wow sis Rkhan I just saw your reply. Et tu ? Yes he writes very simply yet thought provokingly. One minus side though. A brother once told me I am indulging in sin by reading his books :P Aaaannnyyywwhhhooo.....You read the joke till the end ? I read it halfway and had to return it...didnt have time to reread it :( Wanna gimme a summary ? ;) Wassalam |
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| rkhan |
| 03/29/04 at 00:46:05 |
| [slm] [quote] A brother once told me I am indulging in sin by reading his books [/quote] I’ve been told that too…I just put it down to my mis-spent teengage years :(… So many ppl believe that reading secular books is a waste of time or even sinful …but I just think they add to one’s mental sense of perspective….as long as they aren’t outright X- rated or an exercise in advocating/propagating kufr…wallaahu ‘alam Case in point is The Joke…it’s about a young student who at the height of the communist frenzy is trying to impress this girl who’s fanatically committed to communist principles ..while he isn’t. So when she goes off to a retreat to learn more about communism he writes her this funny postcard saying ‘Long live Trotsky’ and a few more lines that basically add up to : communism stinks. The powers that be aren’t laughing tho, and this chap is caught and grilled endlessly about being a Trotskyite and is finally expelled from college and loses his job for making fun of communism …even when he insists all along that it’s just a joke… Doesn’t it remind you of our times when every country on the globe is whipping up this nationalist fervour and anyone who’s not joining in is promptly tagged anti-national? Anyone who’s not with a particular group/school of thought is against them? Notice how even innocuous jokes aren’t jokes these days …the wheel of time... |
| 03/29/04 at 00:48:58 |
| rkhan |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| timbuktu |
| 03/29/04 at 01:18:08 |
| [quote author=rkhan link=board=kabob;num=1076008030;start=30#38 date=03/29/04 at 00:46:05] ........… I just put it down to my mis-spent teengage years :(… So many ppl believe that reading secular books is a waste of time or even sinful …but I just think they add to one’s mental sense of perspective….as long as they aren’t outright X- rated or an exercise in advocating/propagating kufr … [/quote] for someone who has mis-spent an entire life, teenage years are nothing. I used to think that my time spent was widening my perspective. with memory loss, I wonder what purpose has that widened perspective served, or is likely to serve now. and with failing eyesight, time mis-spent is a loss that can never be recouped. For some, even time spent in kufr can be useful, if it helps them explain Isam to a non-believer. when all is said and done, the best is if we are able to say: "inna salati wa nusuki wa mahyaya wa mamati lillahi Rabbil 3alameen la shareeka lah, wa bizalika umirtu, wa ana awwalul muslimeen" when a lifetime is mis-spent, the mahyaya bit is out of the question, what remains to hope and work for is salati, nusuki and mamati :) |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| gift |
| 03/29/04 at 06:34:49 |
| [quote author=jannah link=board=kabob;num=1076008030;start=0#9 date=02/06/04 at 11:23:23] i wanted to read nagib mafuz any recommendations for his best book? [/quote] so... we translated one of nagib mahfouz's short stories in one of my arabic classes a couple of years back. i can only say it was weird - something along the lines of 'we are in love, we lay down on bed, bombs were falling from the sky' :o - what i mean is that it seemed really disjointed and random. [color=black]corrected later: The story which I was talking about was actually called ‘Al-Hubb’ and was written by a Syrian writer by the name of Zakariya Taamir (b.1920). Sorry - my bad![/color] i love amy tan's books - she is not superficial hyper! have you read her novel 'the kitchen god's wife' - that book had me in tears in sooo many places. has anyone read maya angelou's autobiography? i keep meaning to pick it up at the library ::) along with a suitable boy ::) i'd love to join the book club tooo jannah - but i won't be able to read this first book :( can't find it in the library (and i don't like to buy books unless i've read them first - u know so i don't buy junk!) Oh and can we suggest books to discuss? does it have to be 'ethnic' fiction/non-fiction or can it be other stuff too? i wish i could become a professional reader for a living.... :-/ [wlm] |
| 04/22/04 at 03:15:31 |
| gift |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| nida |
| 03/29/04 at 20:03:19 |
| [slm] hmmm...book club sounds interesting. can i join it too? [wlm] :-) |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| bismilla |
| 03/30/04 at 00:51:43 |
| [slm] I am really ejoying taking notes form this thread, thanks :-) Here's a list of local South African writers who's books i enjoyed :- My all time Favourite -----> [color=blue]A Treasure Trove of Memories by Zuleika Mayat[/color] This book is about an Indian family living in the buffer zone between the native Africans and the "whites" (Europeans and Dutch) in Portchefstroom. Very beautifully written biography. my next most favourite --------> [color=green]The Lotus People by Aziz Hashim[/color] This is about an Indian family that have landed in Durban, having been promised by the British that the roads are going to be paved with gold etc. They learn the truth behind the British ploy soon enough and the book is about how they cope and go on to build a thriving community against all odds. Author ------> [color=black]Ahmed Essop[/color] I read a book of short stories by him and "Emperor" has been recommended by a good friend of mine. I must still get to that one. Regarding the "book club" - my hubby suggested this Sunday afternoon that we should set aside a few minutes every Sunday afternoon to discuss a book or something of interest we read during the week. Even if it is just a page or so that we managed to get through our hectic schedules. Alhumdulillah, i thought it was a good idea and Insha Allah i hope it will encourage the kids as well. Added later [color=purple] Hill of Fools by R. Peteni[/color] A book that we studied at school - about the coming of age in an African rural community. [color=red]People are Living There by Athol Fugard[/color] one of my Speech and Drama set books about 20 years ago!! - i must re-read this one - i think i am going to borrow this and brush up on it for this weekends "book review" Insha Allah :-) |
| 03/30/04 at 02:46:30 |
| bismilla |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| jannah |
| 03/30/04 at 03:40:58 |
| [slm] good idea bismillah... every sunday huh... Hey I miss when people used to do in-depth book reviews.. how about something like that every now and then? Someone can read a book or when they finish a book they can post a small summary on what it was about and what they thought of it.. and maybe anything they learned from it for us all??? pweettyyyy pleaseee |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| tahirah |
| 04/10/04 at 02:29:47 |
| as salaamu 'alaikum! [quote author=Attia link=board=kabob;num=1076008030;start=40#40 date=03/29/04 at 06:34:49] i love amy tan's books - she is not superficial hyper! have you read her novel 'the kitchen god's wife' - that book had me in tears in sooo many places. [wlm] [/quote] i love that book! i read it for a high school English class because the library was out of the more popular book: the joy luck club. it was a great experience for me. it really opened my eyes to the complexity of being a second-generationer (parents immigrated from another country). for example, i used to get annoyed when ppl at the masjid slipped back and forth between english and another language - language barriers kinda make you feel isolated in so many ways. but in one part of the book she explains through a character how the mix of the two languages almost becomes another language in itself...most of the time she didn't even realize that went back and forth. that is just a tiny example...but it affected my outlook in so many ways - with not just language barriers, but cultural and personality barriers. i must admit that there was one part that was so graphic that after i read it i felt so guilty that i showed my mom so she would know what i was reading. i also liked how the story goes back and forth between past and present. it is interesting to watch your initial perceptions of the the mothers portrayed in the story develop as you learn more about their past and the experiences that shaped them. it helps you appreciate your parents more when you understand that there was a completely different world that they struggled through. |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| gift |
| 04/22/04 at 03:14:16 |
| [slm] [quote author=tahirah link=board=kabob;num=1076008030;start=40#44 date=04/10/04 at 02:29:47]as salaamu 'alaikum! i love that book! i read it for a high school English class because the library was out of the more popular book: the joy luck club. i also liked how the story goes back and forth between past and present. it is interesting to watch your initial perceptions of the the mothers portrayed in the story develop as you learn more about their past and the experiences that shaped them. it helps you appreciate your parents more when you understand that there was a completely different world that they struggled through. [/quote] There are so few people I know who’ve read this book! I loved the strength of the women in the novel, the way they faced so much suffering but just kept on going. I think the way Amy Tan chops and changes between the past and the present is something of a feature in all of her novels, and is a physical way of demonstrating how a character’s past influences another character’s future. Did you ever manage to read [i]The Joy Luck Club[/i], you might also like to try [i]The Bonesetter’s Daughter[/i]. Interestingly enough I seem to enjoy the ethnic fiction of people who are from a different ethnic group from myself, especially the Chinese/Japanese and Hispanic writers. I recently read a book by a Pakistani writer which practically had me screaming with rage – it was full of such jaahil (ignorant) characters, and throughout there was so much use of some of the worst Punjabi swear words ever >:((naturally translated into English throughout – urgh >:( ). I won’t even list the name of the book here I was sooo disgusted and disappointed with that book. I also wanted to correct my earlier post about Nagib Mahfouz. The story which I was talking about was actually called ‘Al-Hubb’ and was written by a Syrian writer by the name of Zakariya Taamir (b.1920). Sorry – I made a boo boo :( – there I was speaking without knowledge again ::). I’m sorry if I put anyone off. Inshallah I’ll go back and correct my original post as well. I recently posted a rather long review of a book I’d read, and I’ve seen Jannah’s review of the Purification of the Soul, any offerings from anyone else? I was looking forward to reading some reviews of the books being discussed here. [wlm] |
| 04/22/04 at 03:18:14 |
| gift |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| pakiprncess |
| 04/30/04 at 17:15:19 |
| for those of you into history, theres a wonderful book by indu sundaresan on the mughal court's zenana life, the empires of king akbar and king jahangir, and empress mehrunnisa. its a beautiful tale, and this coming from someone who doesnt even like history. reads like a novel. ive heard im missing out since ive never read pride and prejudice, which is next on my list. anyone heard of/read this book? ps i would love to join the book club too! |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| gift |
| 05/06/04 at 05:41:12 |
| [quote author=pakiprncess link=board=kabob;num=1076008030;start=40#46 date=04/30/04 at 17:15:19]ive heard im missing out since ive never read pride and prejudice, which is next on my list. anyone heard of/read this book?[/quote] You have to read that novel sis - it's got everything. The embarassing extended family, the handsome/proud hero, romance (clean), daughterly sisterly and familial love, comedy, heartache...... Honestly it's brilliant. It even has elements of what I call the Aunty-jee network ;D |
| Re: Ethnic fiction |
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| jannah |
| 05/06/04 at 13:30:37 |
| [slm] Someone in the chat recommended this book for us to read: Regards from the Dead Princess: Novel of a Life by Kenize Mourad, Sabine Destree, Anna Williams |
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